In 1982, photographer and painter Sherrie Levine wrote “A painting’s meaning lies not in its origin, but in its destination.” There lies within the photographic medium a capacity to take on the dominant narratives of the Eurocentric painting tradition that are perpetuated by museums.
1-Sided is a photographic indictment of these narratives. By photographing paintings and then editing out their othering content, this project aims to invite critical thinking while viewing paintings. Specifically focusing on paintings by artists with minimal fame within the context of museums outside large metropolitan areas, 1-Sided emphasizes the importance of challenging insidious messaging in areas less likely to encourage a close read of signs and subjects.
Photographing paintings in collections subtly reinforcing colonial legacies, Aaron Wilder proposes an alternative display practice of paintings through photographically collapsing both sides of an artwork into a one-dimensional surface. Through a strategy of figurative and literal reframing, Wilder embarks on a journey through institutional critique and exposes subliminal messaging to arrive at a shared destination of clarity.
